How to prevent future ticks (pic included)

7 years ago

I found this tick in my yard today. Pictures included below. It was in my youngest child’s plastic pool. In fact I caught it in a cup and it was under water for over an hour but didn’t die. I’m sure all ticks are bad but does anyone know what kind of tick this is and how dangerous this kind is? It’s roughly 1/4” long.

My grass is short and partly burnt in some areas. The plastic pool where this was found is in the middle of my well cut lawn. I don’t live in a wooded area though there is a small amount of woods about 6 houses from me. I do have taller grass and shrubs on the perimeter of my 1/4 acher but don’t imagine it’s worse than most people have. I also have a fence so deer are in my neigbbors yard but not mine. I do have a woodpile for winter about 75-feet from where I found this tick.

This is my first experience with a tick. Should I call my pest control company to spray? I have a vegetable garden in this back yard so I worry about spray. We also have a dog and children who play in the yard. our dog takes a monthly pill for ticks. This tick didn’t bite anyone and we haven’t had any bites. It was shocking for us to find this tick as we aren’t near woods. We live in south eastern Pennsylvani.

What’s the best recommendation to find/remove/kill these ticks in my yard if there are more and prevent future encounters so we can feel safe about our kids playing back there the rest of this summer? Thanks For helping.

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Comments (5)

susanzone5 (NY)
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
What you have is an American dog tick, spreader of diseases. Pensylvania is a hotspot for tick infections now.

Read up on this epidemic at Lymedisease.org

Your children should be sprayed with organic repellents, checked for ticks everyday (nymphs are the size of a period on this page), clothes in hot dryer after being outdoors, never worn twice without laundering, and showering within 2 hours of being outdoors.

Spraying your yard is temporary as the ticks are spread by visiting birds, mice, rodents of all kinds. Pets may have tick meds but by the time the ticks reach their skin, they are already in the house and can crawl off onto you.

Some people use tick tubes which are basically tubes full of permethrin (poison) sprayed cotton which rodents use for nesting material which can kill ticks.

I have chronic Lyme plus I had 2 other tick infections. This is just being dealt with in the government. Doctors are not educated. Best is to do a LOT of reading on trusted Lyme websites. It is something to look out for as it can ruin lives, be misdiagnosed as other diseases from symptoms.

You can send ticks in for testing. Look it up on websites. By the way, Lyme tests are 50% false-negative and only half of people get the bulls-eye rash.
Al Ro thanked susanzone5 (NY)
Al Ro
Original Author
7 years ago
I’m so sorry to hear about your Chronic lime.

I dont know anything about ticks but is it possible the picture above is an American dog tick and not a deer tick?

https://igenex.com/tick-talk/a-closer-look-at-the-different-types-of-ticks-and-how-to-identify-each/

Or is An American tick the same as a deer tick?

thank you for helping
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susanzone5 (NY)
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
It does look like the american dog tick which also spreads disease. I edited my response above. I have found 3 types of ticks in my garden. Tick diseases are an epidemic just beginning to be realized. Take care.
Al Ro thanked susanzone5 (NY)
Al Ro
Original Author
7 years ago
Is my garden in the back yard the main attraction for the ticks? Should I remove the garden to help prevent ticks? Thanks
susanzone5 (NY)
7 years ago
No, the mice, voles and other rodents are the attraction for the ticks. Do you use bird seed? That attracts rodents. Tall grass attracts ticks. Your garden is for your pleasure, health, sanity.

Beware of bagged mulch. It comes with ticks by the hundreds. I've experienced it everytime, even with cedar mulch. Now I solarize the bags in hot sun for a year first. Just be careful, do body checks, don't put out seed for birds, spray yourself, hot dryer for outdoor clothes, and shower.